<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>the summer of '89 by summers_end</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23136019">the summer of '89</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/summers_end/pseuds/summers_end'>summers_end</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>the years between us [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>IT (Movies - Muschietti), IT - Stephen King</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Coming Out, Coming of Age, Eddie Kaspbrak Loves Richie Tozier, Fix-It of Sorts, Friends to Lovers, Homophobia, Idiots in Love, Internalized Homophobia, Kid Eddie Kaspbrak, Kid Eddie Kaspbrak/Richie Tozier, Kid Losers Club (IT), Kid Richie Tozier, M/M, Mutual Pining, Pre-IT Chapter Two (2019), Richie Tozier Loves Eddie Kaspbrak, Sonia Kaspbrak's A+ Parenting, The Kissing Bridge (IT)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 08:15:54</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>15,438</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23136019</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/summers_end/pseuds/summers_end</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>August 4th, 1989, 2:45PM</p><p>
  <em>The sound of laughter and tire squeaks filled the air as the cluster of teens biked down the street. They left hell in their wake, puddles splashing as they rode through boldly.  </em>
</p><p> </p><p> <em>Eddie Kasbrak, the runt of the group, stuck to the back, his small legs pedaling quickly as he struggled to keep up with the others.</em></p><p>   <em>A bright smile adorned his sun-tanned face, his eyes lighting up like stars as he laughed along with the others. He turned to look at the boy beside him, he was taller, with black hair and framed glasses that made his eyes look like flying saucers. This, he thought, was going to be a good summer.</em></p><p> </p><p>  </p><p> </p><p>  <em>//</em></p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Ben Hanscom/Beverly Marsh, Eddie Kaspbrak/Richie Tozier</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>the years between us [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1680265</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>54</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>73</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The sound of laughter and tire squeaks filled the air as the cluster of teens biked down the street. They left hell in their wake, puddles splashing as they rode through boldly.</p><p>Eddie Kasprak, the runt of the group, stuck to the back, his small legs pedaling quickly as he struggled to keep up with the others.</p><p>A bright smile adorned his sun-tanned face, his eyes lighting up like stars as he laughed along with the others. He turned to look at the boy beside him, he was taller, with black hair and framed glasses that made his eyes look like flying saucers.</p><p>“Hey, Fuckface!” He yelled, swinging his head to the right to look at the other. “Stop trying to ram into me; you’re gonna make me crash!” Eddie sneered, rolling his eyes as he tried to get ahead of Richie.</p><p>“Not my fault you can’t fucking ride your bike in a straight line!” Richie called, pedaling harder to not let Eddie catch up.</p><p>The sun filtered through the trees leaves rustling as a breeze made the heat more tolerable. This summer was one of Richie’s most treasured. He had made friends who changed his life and overcame crazy things. He took a bat to a killer clown, for Christ’s sake! And now summer was almost over.</p><p>The wind rushed through Richie’s black curls as he pedaled to the front of the group. He felt the slight rush of adrenaline as he made a sharp turn on a corner. The damp smell of the rain on the fallen leaves wafted into his nose, and he felt all of it. Richie felt like he could experience things fully now. <em>About fucking time</em> he thought.</p><p>The Losers suddenly turned off of the road, riding up the rocky path towards the quarry. The sunlight through the trees reflected in a flurry of lights off their bikes, dancing along the forest floor in a haze of yellow and white. Bikes were soon abandoned and replaced by the sounds of frantic scurrying as the ragtag group raced towards the cliffside.</p><p>Eddie ran alongside Richie; his face lit up in a bright smile as the sun danced across his freckles. “Betcha I’ll get there first!” He yelled, giving the other a slight push backwards as he ran towards the edge.</p><p>Clothing was soon discarded, leaving the group clad in just their undergarments as they huddled around the cliff.</p><p>Eddie felt himself grow a bit worried, his mind racing with the thought of various diseases that could be infecting the muddy water of the quarry. Just one more dip couldn’t hurt, he thought quickly, glancing over at the others with a brave look.</p><p>All of the boys had light T-shirt and shorts tan lines, now exposed to the warm light. Bill and Richie were the most visibly pale, still, but even they now sported a light summery glow on their faces and arms.</p><p>When Richie reached the edge of the cliff (milliseconds before Eddie), he looked over the edge to see calm waves lapping below him. “My spit has always gone farther than yours,” he remarked, looking to Eddie, who was panting after the run there. He smirked and turned his back to the quarry as the rest of the Losers arrived.</p><p>Bev smiled at the boys and stepped towards the edge of the cliff. “I’ll go first!” She took a small leap and plunged into the warm, quarry water. The other losers followed until it was only Richie and Eddie left on the cliff.</p><p>Eddie turned to look at the other boy, his eyes glinting with fear. He’d always been afraid of the jump down, no matter how many times he had done it successfully.</p><p>“Together?” He said with a small smile, taking Richie’s hand within his own. Eddie gave it a slight squeeze, turning back to face the edge.<br/>The wind whipped at his hair, leaving it a tangled mess of brown on the top of his head. He bit his lip slightly, looking down at the waves that lapped at the rocks below.</p><p>“Ready Tozier?” He said quietly, his cheeks turning upwards in a smile.</p><p>Holding Eddie’s hand felt like intuition, something he was always meant to do. Richie didn’t turn to face Eddie but glanced at him quickly from the corner of his eye. “I’m ready,” Richie responded, “On three?” When Eddie nodded, Richie began to count.</p><p>“One, two,” just after Richie announced two, he leaped off of the cliff. His fingers slipped through Eddie’s, and he fell through the thick August air, his arms windmilling at his sides. Gaining speed in his plunge, Richie hit the green quarry water with a sizable splash.</p><p>From the water, Richie looked up to see Eddie, who hadn’t yet jumped. He called out “C’mon Eds, let’s go!” and spun around in the water to paddle over to the others. The greenish water came up to his neck as he swam over, but when he reached the others and stood with them, it touched just above his waist.</p><p>Eddie watched the other boy plummet through the water, still a bit startled by the sudden motion. He looked down at Richie, his arm crossing slightly, “That’s not my name, dickwad!” He shouted, his voice echoing off the cliff walls.</p><p>
  <em>C’mon Eddie it’s now or never</em>
</p><p>He thought quietly, shutting his eyes tightly as he forced himself off the cliff.</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>He felt his body slice through the air, landing with a resilient splash as he finally hit the water. Eddie took in a loud breath, breaching the surface and coughing as he looked around at the others. He swam over to Richie, kicking up droplets of water as he flailed about.</p><p>“I can’t believe you fucking jumped without me, asshole.” Eddie murmured, his legs brushing up against Richie’s. He looked upwards, the summer sky cloudless and perfect. It wasn’t too hot, but it wasn’t too cold either; it was just right.</p><p>“Sorry, Eddie-Bear,” Richie splashed Eddie with his hands, “just wanted to keep you on your toes.” Everything was slightly blurry; Richie had left his glasses with the rest of his clothes and his bike. He rubbed his eyes with the back of a wet hand, smiling when he saw Eddie freaking out that Richie had splashed the water in his mouth.</p><p>The sun made Eddie’s brown hair shine a burnt golden on the edges of his face, a halo framing it. With every gentle breeze that swept over the calm water, their hair, still partially dry, rustled and flew around their faces and eyes. The water droplets that had adhered to their shoulders gleamed and sparkled in the light.</p><p>Richie dunked under the water and grabbed hold of one of Eddie’s ankles to freak him out. He could open his eyes under the water, but the water was cloudy, and the light streamed through in rays, which made seeing difficult. As Richie grabbed hold of the skinny ankle, he held on for about 3 seconds, then let go and popped up behind Eddie</p><p>Eddie let out a scream as Richie popped up behind him, splashing the other boy with water in retaliation. His face and shoulders had begun to burn, not to Eddie’s knowledge, though. The bright red that had started to form on the boy brought out his freckles, which were scattered in clusters across his face and shoulders.</p><p>“You’re an asshole.” He cursed under his breath, giving the other a shove.</p><p>Eddie ducked under the water, making sure to clasp his mouth as tightly as possible so that none of the water could seep in. He swam up beside Richie, pushing him under the water. Their chests brushed up against each other as Eddie pushed him down farther, his hair floating upwards as they lay under the water.</p><p>After a second, Eddie swam upwards, his wet mop of hair flying as he swam up. He let out a small whimper, finally beginning to feel the sting of the burns come into effect.</p><p>“Oh my god, I’m gonna get cancer.” He murmured, his big brown eyes widening even more than usual.</p><p>Richie reached the water’s surface just after Eddie’s realization. He heard Eddie murmur something about cancer, but tossed it aside. Richie gasped for air for a few seconds, catching his breath. He hadn’t been prepared for Eddie to pull him under, and he had lost air struggling against him under the water.</p><p>When he could breathe normally again, Richie grinned at Eddie, saying, “You’re stronger than you look.” When Eddie didn’t respond, Richie looked up. Richie looked from Eddie’s panicked eyes to his bright red shoulders and face and remembered that cancer comment, putting the pieces together. “No fucking way, Eds. I’ve been sunburned way worse than that. You’re not getting cancer.”</p><p>“Let’s just go to the shade or something,” Richie said, running his fingers through his wet hair. The sun was still shining bright, but there was an area of shade where the cliff cast a shadow. Without informing the other losers, he began to swim over to the shaded area, looking back to see if Eddie was following.</p><p>Eddie looked uneasy at Richie’s comment, still feeling upset about his sunburn. He looked back at the other Losers, who were currently having a water fight. Eddie turned back to Richie, deciding to go with the other for once. It was true that he was the closest with Richie, despite their constant bickering and name-calling.</p><p>“My mother’s going to kill me.” He whispered, swimming up beside the other.</p><p>Eddie leaned up against Richie, growing tired from all the swimming. He raised his arms over his head, purposely knocking them into Richie’s own.</p><p>“When can we go back to the hangout? I’m tired.” He murmured, looking up at Richie with a yawn. “I want to be the first into the hammock for once.” Eddie snickered, jabbing the other in the stomach. He pulled away, stretching his arms up towards the sky, giggling slightly. He flashed Richie a smile, the sunlight dancing across the water.</p><p>Richie grabbed his stomach and groaned. “Fucking baby,” Richie muttered, imitating Eddie’s yawn in a comedic and overdone fashion. “Let’s go before you turn into a tomato, dickwad.” When they had gotten close enough to shore, Richie began wading towards the path up to the top of the cliff.</p><p>When they reached the shore, Richie looked over at Eddie, still about 3 meters away from him, “What are you waiting for,” he called, mumbling, “Fucking slowpoke,” under his breath.</p><p>Eddie rolled his eyes, running forwards to catch up with Richie. “Hey, I’m shorter than you! That’s not fair!” He grumbled, giving the other boy a playful shove.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>As they walked up, the trees covered them from the brightest light, but small rays streamed through in tiny speckles, dotting their skin in shards of light. Sharp rocks dotted the path, keeping their eyes on the ground to avoid them. By the time they reached the top, Richie’s hair was almost dry, and his underwear was barely damp.</p><p>Richie reached the clearing where their bikes and belongings laid first. He pulled on his shirt and shorts first, then sat on the ground to put on his socks and shoes. There were small pebbles and bits of dirt on his clothes that Richie brushed off with the palms of his hands.</p><p>Eddie followed suit after the other boy, putting on his clothes slowly. He slipped his shirt over his head, pulling his shorts on after. He reached over a few rocks, grabbing his discarded knee-high socks and pulling them on. After tying his shoes he stood up, shaking himself off slightly.</p><p>“To the hangout,” Richie announced, “So I can fix this fuckface up.” Grabbing the handlebars of his bike, Richie pushed the pedals hard to get started. It was always harder to bike through the woods than on the street. When he was sure Eddie was following him, he sped up.</p><p>Riding through the woods, just the two of them, was a fast, and almost dangerous ride. They rode swiftly over large rocks, curbs, and maybe a log or two. When they had gotten close enough to the hangout, they dropped their bikes, and Richie led the way to the entrance.</p><p>Eddie trotted along after Richie, his small body poking out from behind him as they reached the hangout. Richie lifted the trapdoor, swinging it open. A cloud of dust filled the air, the individual specks shining as the sun hit them. Eddie crawled down the ladder, hopping into the hammock as quickly as he could.</p><p>“Beat you Trashmouth.” He said in a sing-song voice as he made himself comfortable. Eddie stretched slightly, kicking off his shoes and flexing sock-covered toes as he finally settled in. <em>I hope summer never ends</em> he thought quietly to himself, eyeing the other boy as he clambered down the ladder.</p><p>“Wasn’t a competition,” Richie argued, “otherwise I would’ve pushed your fat ass out of the way before you got to the ladder.” He walked over to the desk, looking for the first aid kit. Richie never used it. Eddie was always the one to patch the others up if they got a scrape or bug bite.</p><p>“Where’s the kit?” Richie yelled from the desk, “I don’t see it.” Running his fingers over the film of dust that had collected in the few days since they had last touched that desk. Pulling open a few drawers revealed nothing useful, and Richie waited impatiently for Eddie’s response, murmuring “Where’s the fucking kit,” and, “I’m not the idiot who didn’t wear sunscreen,” along with other rather pointless phrases.</p><p>“I’m not fat!” Eddie sputtered, crossing his arms and giving the other boy a pouty look. He watched Richie silently as the taller boy searched in a fruitless attempt to find the first aid kit. Eddie swung out of the hammock, walking past Richie with an annoyed look. He reached behind the can of shower caps, pulling out the first aid kit.</p><p>“Here fuckface,” he said with a growl, tossing the kit to Richie. “Your big ass eyes are fucking useless.” Eddie teased, seating himself on the musty wooden floor.</p><p>By now it was around four in the afternoon, the summer sun peeking out from behind the trees as it got lower in the sky. Eddie basked in the golden light that shone in through the trapdoor, enjoying the feeling of warmth on his already burnt skin. Usually, he would care, but right now his mind was elsewhere.</p><p>Richie lunged to catch the kit thrown to him, barely catching it. “You’re the one who got all that fucking water all in my eyes,” he commented, then under his breath muttered, “and your ass is fat.”</p><p>Flipping over the kit to look for a lid, Richie noticed the initials EK scratched on one of the sides. Assuming that the initialed side was the top, he gripped that side in one hand, and the opposite in the other, and yanked hard.</p><p>Richie ripped open the first aid kit and began rummaging through the contents. He wasn’t really sure what he was looking for, but he assumed that when he saw it, he would know. “What the fuck do you even put on a sunburn?” He questioned loudly but got no response. Eddie was daydreaming or something. Richie took two steps over to where Eddie sat underneath the trapdoor and poked his face, hard.</p><p>Eddie’s eyes shot open in an angry glare, a small yelp sounding from his mouth. “Agh! You didn’t need to poke me asshole!” He shot back, grabbing the first aid kit from Richie’s grip.</p><p>He looked through it, narrowing his eyes slightly as he searched. Soon enough, Eddie pulled out a small green bottle. “Aloe vera.” He mumbled, handing it to Richie. Eddie reached up, grabbing the other boy by the shirt and pulling him into the hammock. “Put it on my back slave,” Eddie said matter-a-factly, pulling off his shirt to reveal the light red that covered him.</p><p>“Now.” He added firmly, turning his head slightly to glance at Richie who was currently fumbling with the bottle. Eddie rolled his eyes, knowing that the taller boy knew nothing of health and safety precautions. “God, you’re dumb.” He murmured.</p><p>Richie looked from the bottle in his hands to the slight redness on Eddie’s shoulders and upper back. At first, he tried to twist the lid, but when Eddie yelled at him to just lift the lid, he begrudgingly listened to him. After all, he was an expert in the field. <em>Dr. K</em>.</p><p>With his thumb and first finger, Richie popped the lid, exclaiming, “got it!” to the one other person in the room. Richie squeezed a load of the watery gel onto his left palm, taking a more reasonable amount with the fingers on his right hand from the goop in his left.</p><p>“Ew!” Richie fake gagged at the consistency of the aloe Vera, “you sure you want this shit on you? I think you’ll survive without it.” But Richie continued to coat his fingers with the watery gel. When he placed his cold, dripping fingers in Eddie’s shoulders, he felt him shiver.</p><p>Eddie turned around and glared at Richie, giving the other boy his answer. “Just put it on asshole.” He grumbled, crossing his arms.</p><p>He felt a Richie begin to lather it on, sending a shiver down his spine. Richie’s hands on his back sent a burning sensation through his skin, but Eddie wasn’t sure whether that was the sunburn or Richie himself that caused the feeling. The shorter boy began to hum slightly, leaning back into Richie’s touch.</p><p>“That feels good.” He said in a low whisper, ducking his head down so Richie couldn’t see the small smile on his face. “If you got any sunburns, I can help you too ya know.” Eddie shrugged.</p><p>Richie could hear Eddie's smile in his voice, but he pretended that he didn’t. “I’m not a dickwad like you, Eds. I don’t need this weird shit,” Richie was now pushing back his own smile. “Plus, I’d make you do it, even if you didn’t offer.” Now Richie broke out into a grin.</p><p>Richie finished spreading the aloe on Eddie’s back and looked at it in pride. “Ok, turn around, let me see that assface.” Richie made a spinning motion with a finger.</p><p>After Eddie turned around, Richie focused on lathering Eddie’s shoulder. He noticed freckles amid the red burns on his shoulders that he hadn’t seen before. Cute, he thought to himself. When he was certain that Eddie was unsuspecting, he shoved a few fingers into both of Eddie’s armpits and began to tickle furiously.</p><p>“Dickwad? What does that even me-“ Eddie cut himself off with a laugh as Richie began to tickle him. He laughed hysterically, thrashing violently as he tried to get away from the other boy.</p><p>“Stop! Richie stop!” He yelled in between laughs, pushing his feet against Richie’s chest. By now, Eddie has sunk onto his back, looking up at Richie helplessly as he was left to the mercy of the other. Eddie felt tears begin to form in his eyes, finding himself unable to breathe the more he laughed.</p><p>Just like clockwork, Eddie’s breathing had begun to get shallow, causing the small boy to push harder against Richie’s advances. He managed to free his right arm, snaking it down to his fanny pack and pulling out his inhaler. “Richie stop!” He yelled once more, tears running down his cheeks as he continued to laugh.</p><p>Realizing Eddie was reaching for his inhaler, Richie lessened the intensity of his tickling but didn’t stop altogether. He only backed off just enough so that Eddie could get a few puffs from his inhaler.</p><p>After about a minute and a half of tickling, Richie backed off, kneeling on the ground next to Eddie lying on the dusty, dirty floor, both still laughing uncontrollably. As Richie kneeled, laughing up into the ceiling, Eddie pushed himself onto his elbows on the ground.</p><p>“Eddie,” Richie said between laughs, “you just looked too funny sitting there.” Richie presses his hand against his chest to slow the laughter. When his laughter finally stopped, Richie caught his breath and looked to Eddie, offering him a place to speak in the rather one-sided conversation.</p><p>Eddie sneered, rolling onto his side and propping himself up with his elbows. He gave Richie a playful punch, sticking his tongue out at the other boy. “Not as funny as your stupid face.” He jeered, giggling to himself.</p><p>Eddie lifted his legs into the air, flexing them slightly as he stared at the other boy. “I don’t want to go back to school.” He said quietly, his tone turning more hushed and serious. The smaller boy gave Richie a worried glance, pushing himself back up into an Indian style position. “I don’t want summer to end.” Eddie shook his head.</p><p>He let out a sigh, grabbing onto the other boy's hand and giving it a squeeze. “Do you think we’ll still be friends next summer?” A worried look crossed Eddie’s face.</p><p>“Why not?” Richie’s voice softened and squeezed Eddie’s hand back. “Real friends don’t just leave each other,” Richie mused, “and not everyone would let me call them dickwad.”</p><p>Holding Eddie’s hand in his own Richie examined the clean, blunt nails and palms streaked with dirt. He pressed the hand to his face and smelled it. Scents of quarry water and aloe Vera wafted into his nose. And that special scent of Eddie, antibacterial soap and inhaler.</p><p>Eddie felt an embarrassing hue of red color his cheeks as the other boy examined his hand. His eyes widened slightly as Richie brought it up to his face.</p><p>“Richie, what are you doing?” He said quietly, his voice in a hushed whisper. Eddie felt a wave of comfort wash over him, Richie’s face was warm to the touch, inviting it seemed. The room around them had grown balmy as the sun began to sink, a small breeze wafting in every now and then. The room was lit by patches of orange and yellow sunlight, reflecting on the two boy’s skin.</p><p>Eddie closed his eyes, taking in a few deep breaths. The thought of summer ending drove a stake deep in his heart, filling him with a sadness he’d thought he left behind.</p><p>“Don’t ask so many fucking questions,” Richie murmured, pausing to push a piece of hair out of Eddie’s face. These days that were soon to become childhood nostalgia were fading away, and Richie wanted to stay in this moment just a little bit longer.</p><p>The light was growing warmer as the sun began to set. Soon, streaks of purple and orange painted the sky, visible through the open trapdoor. The wind grew just a little bit stronger as night came closer. The sound of leaves rustling and branches cracking accompanied the faint smell of forest and mud.</p><p>Richie placed his hand and Eddie’s on his knee and used his other hand to hold the back of Eddie’s head. Richie gently pulled Eddie’s head toward his own. Pressing their foreheads together, he could almost feel the thoughts racing through Eddie’s head. “And don’t think too hard,” Richie finished.</p><p>Eddie looked at the other with confusion as he shifted their position, his eyes widening slightly. As Richie pressed their foreheads together, Eddie’s heart beat out of his chest, fear glinting in his eyes.</p><p>“Richie, what are you doing?” He said starkly. “I don’t know what kind of sick joke this is but I don’t want to be part of it,” Eddie said quickly, pulling his head away from the taller boy’s. Fear glinted in his eyes as he stared at Richie, unable to say anything. His mind ran a mile a minute, leaving the two in complete silence as Eddie waited for his answer.</p><p>Richie’s hand still lay clasped over his and Eddie could feel the pool of heat forming in his body. The spot where their fingers touched practically burned as they were intertwined.</p><p>“I don’t want summer to end either,” Richie spoke softly. Though their heads weren’t touching anymore, they were still extremely close. “I wish it could last forever,” Richie turned his head slightly away from Eddie, hurt by his initial reaction.</p><p>Looking down at his own hand, still wrapped around Eddie’s, Richie sighed and smiled weakly. The thoughts were rushing through his brain at breakneck speed. <em>Did I just fucking ruin my friendship with Eddie? Did I read all the signs wrong?</em> And most of all <em>Why am I such a loser?</em> Holding in all these pressures, Richie let go of Eddie’s hand, and let his other hand from behind Eddie’s head drop to the floor.</p><p>Eddie shifted uncomfortably, wincing at the other’s crestfallen reaction. He bit his lip, watching Richie’s hand fall to the floor. He couldn’t help but feel a twinge of sadness rush through him, he wasn’t sure as to why though. <em>Why did Richie touch me like that?</em> He wondered, staring up at the other with furrowed brows.</p><p>Eddie looked up to the trapdoor, finally noticing how low the sun was in the sky. It seemed that time slowed whenever they were together, a hazy blur of hours felt like minutes to the two.</p><p>“I’ll see you tomorrow, okay? We can meet at the Kissing Bridge, maybe get some Ice cream..?” Eddie said slowly, scanning the taller boy’s face for his reaction. He leaned forwards, enveloping the other in a tight hug before standing. Eddie pulled on his shoes, giving Richie a small wave. Then with that, he was gone.</p><p>Richie looked up at Eddie leaving, and gave him a wave, saying, “Yeah, sure, whatever.” As soon as Eddie was clear of the trapdoor, Richie began to pick up the articles left on the floor.</p><p>Placing the aloe back into the kit, Richie forced the lid down and put the whole thing back behind the shower cap can. By now, the sun was barely above the horizon. Richie needed to be home soon, or he would get his ass beat.</p><p>Alone in the hideout, Richie took a deep breath of the musty air. Tomorrow he would fix things. Then he pulled himself out from the trapdoor and stepped onto his bike. Tightly gripping the handlebars, Richie began pedaling home, trying to beat the setting sun.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Eddie leaned against the wooden railing of the Kissing Bridge, careful not to get any splinters. He let out a small sigh, looking down at the river below. Yesterday was different. Him and Richie have always been buddies, despite all the bickering and name calling. The other boy had never done anything like that before. It was a gentle side of Richie that Eddie had never seen before.</p><p>He glanced back down the road, waiting anxiously for the other boy’s arrival. Eddie furrowed his brows slightly, thoughts racing through his head. Why had his heart begun to beat so fast when Richie touched him like that? Eddie just didn’t understand it. He was confused. Purely Confused.</p><p>It was still pretty early. Maybe around 10 am, the sun shining behind slightly cloudy skies. The heat wasn’t as bad as it had been the day before, and the air felt lighter.</p><p>As Richie pulled his bike up to the bridge, he saw Eddie already there, his bike propped up on the wooden railing. Pushing his bike down to the asphalt, he made his way over to where Eddie was standing.</p><p><em>Time to fix everything I fucked up yesterday</em> he thought. Sneaking up behind Eddie, who looked lost in thought, Richie grabbed both hands onto his shoulders, yelling, “Boo, fuckface!”</p><p>Eddie let out a scream, slapping the other boy on the face in alarm. His eyes widened slightly as he went to comfort Richie, who was holding his cheek in pain.</p><p>“Fucking christ Richie, you can’t scare me like that!” Eddie kneeled down, pulling Richie with him. “Are you okay? I’m sorry for hitting you.” He said quickly, tilting the other boy’s head and checking his cheek. Eddie cooed over him, standing back up once he was sure Richie was alright.</p><p>The smaller boy twisted his leg in embarrassment, shaking his head slightly. “Why can’t you just say hello like a regular human Rich?” Eddie smirked slightly, stifling a laugh.</p><p>Richie’s left cheek burned. He was pretty sure that there would be a red, hand-shaped mark in about 2 seconds. “Fuck, Eddie!” Richie exclaimed, his left hand still covering the slapped portion of his face, “you didn’t need to slap me!”</p><p>Still squatting on the ground, Richie removed his hand from his face, wincing at the burn he felt as the skin touched air. “I fixed you yesterday, and you repay me with this?” He said, now more jokingly.</p><p>Standing up, Richie’s eye level rose to above Eddie’s head. Eddie’s face looked apologetic enough. Pausing to scratch his hair, Richie offered a little smile to Eddie. Then, Richie grabbed the railing, leaning over the edge to breathe in the last of the summer air, and to prove to Eddie he was fine.</p><p>Eddie followed suit, leaning next to Richie. “Well next time don’t scare me.” He said this matter-of-factly, giving the other boy his signature goofy smile. The smaller boy tapped his fingers along the wooden railing, trying his best not to get any dirt under his perfectly manicured nails.</p><p>“So my burn is better by the way, thank you for that.” Eddie said quietly, turning his head to make eye contact with Richie. “A regular Dr. K in the making.” He said in a terrible British accent, mocking the other as he tried to lighten the mood.</p><p>“Wanna have a sleepover tonight?” Eddie shrugged, giving Richie a small smile. “The other Losers are all busy, getting ready for school next week I suppose.”</p><p>Richie wanted to act casual, but he was excited and happy, mostly because Eddie was acting normal. <em>Maybe I was overreacting yesterday?</em> After all, if Eddie wanted to have a sleepover, that must mean things were ok between them.</p><p>“My place?” Richie asked. Even though he made jokes about Eddie’s mom, she really did smell. Richie never really liked Eddie’s mom or house. He leaned back off of the railing, leaving his hands on. “What do you think?”</p><p>Eddie nodded with a smile, “Sounds good, I’ll let my mother know later.” He cocked his head slightly, thinking to himself. “We’re going into town and we’re gonna get ice cream now,” Eddie said confidently, grabbing Richie’s wrist and pulling him towards their bikes.</p><p>The smaller boy grabbed onto the handlebars of his bike, swinging his leg over and adjusting his grip. He flashed Richie a smile before turning his bike and riding down the road, pedaling as fast as he could. The wind rushed through Eddie’s hair, filling him with a feeling of freedom. The thought of school starting next week hurt him to the core. This summer was so special. He really did never want it to end.</p><p>After turning a few corners, the pair ended up on Derry’s Main Street, a quaint little road lined with shops and diners. Eddie slowed down his pedaling, hopping off his bike and walking towards a small storefront. “Over here Trashmouth!” He called, turning to make sure Richie was following.</p><p>Richie slowly gripped the brakes, his bike coming smoothly to a stop next to Eddie’s. “I don’t have enough money for fucking ice cream. Can’t we just get candy or something?” Richie followed Eddie, as he continued into the shop. Richie realized that they were either going to share, or Eddie would pay for him.</p><p>The overwhelmingly sweet smell of the ice cream parlor hit both boys like a smack in the face. The pink paint was peeling off the walls, but the place was still lively as ever. Kids were lined up between ropes, waving their allowance money. Palms were pressed against the glass displaying the various flavors.</p><p>“Which flavor are you getting?” Richie asked Eddie, who was already examining the sign above the cashier listing which flavors were available. Eddie stepped to the back of the line, still focused on which flavor to pick.</p><p>“Vanilla.” Eddie said plainly, stepping forward in the line. “And don’t worry, I can pay for you.” He shrugged, “It’s no problem, you’re my best friend after all.” The shorter boy stood up on his tiptoes, craning his neck to get a good look at the other flavors.</p><p>Eddie turned around to face Richie, his arm resting on his jutted out hip. “So, what flavor are you getting asshole?” He smirked, raising his eyebrows slightly. “Hopefully not one of those colorful flavors, my mother says those are full of health concerns.” He wrinkled his freckled nose in distaste.</p><p>The early morning sunshine steamed in through the large windows, heating up the people-packed room substantially. Eddie felt himself begin to sweat, a feeling he did not like at all.</p><p>Laughing at Eddie’s comment, Richie scanned the sign, looking for the most colorful flavor, sure to annoy the shit out of Eddie. He could feel Eddie’s eyes on him, already judging his decision.</p><p>Richie looked at the sign for a moment longer. “If you’re sure… I think I’ll get superhero. That’s the rainbow one, right?” He smirked, knowing that it would get a reaction out of Eddie.</p><p>Eddie’s eyes widened in horror as he heard Richie’s choice. “Are you kidding? Do you know how many dyes and artificial flavors are in that? Have you ever heard of cancer?” He ranted on and on, his lips moving quickly as he lectured the other boy.</p><p>With a huff, Eddie walked up to the counter, ordering their respective choices, not without a glare towards Richie of course. He handed Richie his cone, forking the money over the counter with a scowl. Eddie turned on his heels, pulling the other by his sleeve towards the door. He sat down on a small bench outside the store, beginning to tentatively lick his ice cream.</p><p>He found himself occasionally glancing up at Richie, watching the other boy quickly devour his ice cream. Maybe it was the sunlight on his hair, or the way his tan brought out the freckles on the bridge of his nose, he wasn’t really sure.</p><p>Being pulled from the store, Richie took a deep breath in, finding relief in the clean air contrasting the shitty air from the musty store. When Eddie let go of his sleeve and sat on the bench, Richie took that as his cue to start eating.</p><p>Maybe there were chemicals in it, but the colors made the ice cream taste so much better. About halfway through shoving the scoop of ice cream into his face, he realized that Eddie was watching him. He had barely touched his own ice cream.</p><p>“Want some pointers, Eds?” Richie nodded towards his cone, his mouth still full. He pointed with his left hand. After he swallowed what was left in his mouth, he finished, “so if you put your lips around your teeth, you can bite into it without getting your teeth all fucked up and cold.”</p><p>Richie’s voice woke Eddie from his trance, he shook his head slightly, listening to the other. “I don’t need your stupid tips.” He mumbled, giving his own cone another lick. Eddie looked back up at the other boy, his lips coated in rainbow pigment. He rolled his eyes at the sight, scoffing. <em>Once a slob, always a slob</em> he thought, standing up and throwing his cone into the trash.</p><p>“You eat like a pig Richie.” Eddie commented, crossing his arms as he sat back down. He stared up at the taller boy, batting his eyelashes slightly. Wait, why did he do that? Eddie stared deep into Richie’s eyes, like they held the answer he was searching for.</p><p>“So uh, do you think the Losers will still be together when school starts?” Eddie questioned, dragging his gaze back down the table.</p><p>Richie paused mid-lick. <em>Did Eddie just-?</em> Shaking himself out of it, Richie stuttered, still a bit rattled, “uh, um, I, I guess.” Pulling himself together, Richie tried again. “I mean, why not? We’re each other’s only friends.”</p><p>Finished with the ice cream, Richie began crunching on his cone. Finally noticing that Eddie was looking at him empty-handed, he exclaimed, “did you throw away your cone? I would have eaten that, dickwad!” Feeling that Eddie was looking for a more serious conversation, Richie decided to let him talk about whatever serious shit was on his mind.</p><p>“So, um, what's up with you?” Richie cringed internally at how awkward he sounded. Did his tone of voice give away how fucking uneasy he was having this conversation with Eddie in public? Or was he imagining it all?</p><p>“Beep, beep, Richie.” Eddie mumbled, a small smile on his face. His eyes flickered upwards towards Richie, then narrowed. “You have something in your hair.” He said quickly, standing up on his tiptoes and leaning across the table. Their faces were inches away, their noses barely touching as Eddie plucked a small twig from the other boy’s locks.</p><p>He tossed it onto the sidewalk, seating himself back down on the bench. “And nothing’s up with me, fuckface.” Eddie said quickly, his inner spitfire coming out. A part of him felt nervous about the end of the summer, wondering how different things would be once they’d begun school. Yet he kept it to himself, not wanting to spoil the mood any further.</p><p>“Do you wanna go to the arcade after this, play some games?” He shrugged, tossing his head to the side.</p><p>Richie had to hold back from taking a sharp breath inwards as Eddie’s nose brushed past his own. It was just like yesterday. The stupid fucking smell of soap and inhaler and Eddie. That smell that made his heart race just a little bit faster.</p><p>When Eddie pulled away, Richie noticed how quickly Eddie had replied to his question, and the tension in his face and shoulders. But still trying to keep his cool, Richie shrugged.</p><p>“Yeah, so I can destroy you at Street Fighter? Just don’t cry when you lose again, ok, Eddie-Bear?” Richie gave a side smile, as his comment did it’s work getting Eddie riled up to counter with another snarky reply.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Eddie raced down the street on his bike, his short legs moving faster than they’d ever had. The zipper on his backpack jingling with each swerve he made, contrasting against the squeaks of the tires. The pair had gone to the arcade for a few hours or so and, to Eddie's disappointment, he’d lost at Street Fighter.</p><p>The small boy was huffing and puffing by the time he’d reached Richie’s house, stumbling off his bike and dragging it to the front door. He let it fall to the ground, raising his fist to knock against the wooden door, chipped paint scratching against his skin.</p><p>Richie yawned as he answered the door, his eyes widening as he saw Eddie red in the face and panting, his hair sticking out in odd angles. “Who was chasing you?” He asked sarcastically, opening the door wide for Eddie to enter.</p><p>Richie’s house wasn’t tiny, but it was definitely small, just two bedrooms, one bathroom, very little yard space. Eddie had been there many times before, and felt comfortable leaving his shoes on walking through the small sitting area to drop his bags in Richie’s room.</p><p>Richie had cleaned his room up just a bit, but made sure to leave things out and messy. He didn’t want Eddie to think he was trying too hard. Richie’s mom called the boys for dinner, and Richie led them to the kitchen table, where a spread was waiting for them.</p><p>Eddie followed after Richie like a lost sheep, seating himself quietly at the dinner table. He thanked Richie’s mom profusely, <em>Manners always come first</em> his mother would say. They ate quietly, mouths becoming important for eating and less for words. A bit later Richie led Eddie back into his bedroom, slamming the door behind them.</p><p>Eddie walked over to the small shelf by Richie’s un-made bed, scanning the various comics that lined it. He pulled out a Spiderman one, flopping onto the floor and propping himself up by the elbows. Eddie flipped through it, his legs swaying through the air as he scanned the lines. His shorts were pulled up slightly, showing a bit more skin than acceptable, unbeknownst to Eddie. His shoes were kicked off into the corner, his calves still covered in his signature knee high socks.</p><p>“I can’t believe how clean your room is, this is a first for you Trashmouth.” Eddie scoffed, his brown eyes flicking upwards to glance at the other boy, a growing smirk spreading on his cheeks.</p><p>Seeing Eddie’s pale skin above where he usually did was very distracting to Richie. And mostly to his subconscious. Eddie was wearing knee socks and only the skin between his knees and just under his butt was exposed. Richie would not be able to focus on anything as long as that was in his field of view.</p><p>Richie threw a blanket on top or Eddie’s exposed upper thighs, and replied to Eddie, “why? Just cause I’m a trashmouth doesn’t mean my room needs to be trashy.” Richie pushed out his bottom lip into a pout. “You can read comics by yourself, Eds. We’re together now. Shouldn’t we talk or some shit?”</p><p>Eddie flailed his legs, pushing himself out from under the blanket. He pulled himself up into a sitting position and cocked his head, his eyes narrowed as he stared at Richie. “What is it with you and all this emotional shit?” Eddie scoffed, realizing how mean it sounded as he said it.</p><p>He scratched at his head, crawling over to Richie and sitting next to him. “I’m sorry, you just seem different is what I mean to say?” He tilted his head slightly, trying to word his phrase right. Eddie sucked in his breath, “I mean you didn’t even tell me you wanted to fuck my mom today.” He let out a dry laugh.</p><p>Eddie pulled the other boy into a hug, his arms tightening around Richie’s waist. “That stupid fucking clown just made everything lopsided.” The smaller boy shook his head, letting out a sigh at Richie’s silence. “Don’t make me wrestle you for an answer. I’ll pin you down.” He threatened.</p><p>Richie didn’t know what to say. Was it that they were growing up? He didn’t know why he wanted to talk with Eddie. “Just because I didn’t say I wanted to fuck your mom doesn’t mean I’m different.”</p><p>Richie felt awkward in the hug. Eddie’s arms wrapped around him, Richie didn’t make any move to return the favor. “And for the record, I will always want to fuck your mom.” Richie said, deciding that the hug had gone on a little too long. Gently pulling himself free of Eddie’s arms, Richie sat back on the bed.</p><p>“You’ve changed too. You’re being nice to me, for one.” Richie grasped for words, “I think, like, we’re all changing. You know, like growing up and shit.” Richie turned to the left, looking at the wall. “We’re almost in high school, after all”</p><p>Eddie looked downwards, his head tilting slightly as he thought. “Am I being nice to you? Remind me not to do that.” He let out a laugh, although it came out dry and more like a cough. “It’s strange to think that we’re almost in high school.” Eddie murmured. “Nuh uh, I don’t even want to think about it.” He shook his head.</p><p>Eddie seated himself across from Richie, placing his hands in his lap. “Alright so let’s talk!” He said quickly, a crooked smile adorning his face. “You’re right though, things do seem different.” Eddie sighed. “Between the Losers, between me and you.” His eyes flickered up, trying to catch the other’s gaze.</p><p>“I don’t want things to change, I want us to all stay together.” Eddie said quietly, his head bowing. His hair fell over his eyes as he stared at the ground, lifting slightly as he murmured, “Don’t you Richie?”</p><p>“I mean,” Richie started, “I think I want things to change. Like a little bit. And slowly.” He looked at Eddie’s eyes through his hair. Richie took a deep inhale. “But that’s the whole point of growing up.” Richie let out a long breath.</p><p>“I want us to stay friends, of course. Us and the rest of the losers.” Richie didn’t know how to say what was on his mind. Eddie’s brown puppy-dog eyes were now latched onto him, and he was having trouble focusing.</p><p>“I’m just saying that we can, y’know, be open to change and stuff.” Richie averted his eyes, now looking down at Eddie’s legs, still covered by the blanket he had thrown on.</p><p>“Maybe you should add Richie the fucking philosopher to your list of accents.” Eddie said teasingly, giving the other boy a playful jab. “Well now that we got our feelings out of the way, we can actually have some fun.” He put emphasis on the word, using a girly voice.</p><p>Eddie reaches across Richie, snatching a magazine from across his shelf. “Is this a Playboy, wow Richie.” He scoffed, flipping through the pages of scantily clad women. As he looked through it, he noticed he didn’t feel anything towards the pictures of the women inside. No rush of adrenaline, no blood rushing. Nothing.</p><p>Eddie chalked this up to the staging of the photos, something he was very critical of. He threw the magazine back onto the shelf, looking up at Richie with wide eyes. “So whatcha wanna do now?” He asked plainly.</p><p>Richie shrugged. He picked up the bag Eddie had on the floor, unzipping it and looking through it. “I don’t know. What did you bring?” When he got to the fanny pack, he shook it, hearing the pills inside shake like maracas.</p><p>Richie remembered the scrapbook he kept under his bed. He wasn’t the sentimental type, but Bill had made it for him for his birthday the year earlier. Pushing aside the comforter, Richie pulled it out.</p><p>Flipping through the pages, memories flooded through. A picture of the original losers together. A feather that Richie had ticked Eddie’s face with years ago. An image of the boys smiling, arms around each other’s shoulders. A cutout of the first comic book Richie had stolen from Stan’s collection.</p><p>Eddie leaned over Richie’s shoulder, peeking at what the other boy was looking at. “What’s this?” He laughed, pushing Richie and grabbing the book from his grasp. His laughter died as he began to flip through the pages, his smile fading slightly as he looked at their old memories. “Oh,” was all he could get out.</p><p>“It was just the four of us back then.” He said quietly, his fingers tracing the photos on each page. Those days were precious, before that stupid fucking clown came and ruined everything. Eddie smiled slightly as he looked at the feather, a tiny giggle escaping his lips. He closed the book carefully, hanging it gingerly back to Richie. A sad smile hung on his face, his bottom lip quivering.</p><p>Eddie crossed his arms as though he were cold, trembling as he looked down. His fingers grazed the spot of where his cast used to be, a small sob escaping his lips. “Oh Richie.” He whimpered, flipping his hand over and tracing the scar on his palm. “I’m scared.” He shook his head, “What if next time, it gets one of us?” Eddie looked up at Richie, tears in his eyes.</p><p>Richie looked down at his left palm, the scar still fresh and pink. He had gripped Eddie’s casted hand just weeks earlier, when they had promised to return if it ever came back. “Not going to happen,” Richie said, “We beat it before. We can do it again.”</p><p>“And we’re not going to let anything happen to each other,” Richie now looked into Eddie’s wet eyes, “right?” Pushing down his own emotions, Richie traced the edge of the book with his right fingers, his left palm still open in his lap.</p><p>Then he closed the book and shoved it back under the bed. Memories of the past were now racing through his mind. The day when Eddie broke his arm. That day at the quarry. The time they had fucking killed a demon clown. And the moments they had wasted that summer hating each other.</p><p>Eddie nodded, wiping at his eyes with a sniff. “Right.” He said quietly, watching Richie shove the book back under the bed. “Um, I’m gonna go get changed.” Eddie muttered, grabbing his bag and walking out. He turned a corner and entered the bathroom, locking the door behind him.</p><p>“Stupid fucking clown.” He repeated, bending down towards the sink and splashing his face with water. He peeled off his shirt, craning his neck to check his sunburn in the mirror. It still stung like a bitch when he changed, but it was less noticeable now. Eddie threw on a white t-shirt, stripping down until he was only in his underwear.</p><p>Pulling on a pair of pajama shorts, Eddie left the bathroom, entering Richie’s bedroom quietly. His eyes glanced up to the clock on the wall, it was eleven at night. It seemed that time had slipped out from under them. “So, do you want me to sleep on the floor? I brought a pillow.” He gave a small smile.</p><p>Richie had changed into his pajamas, waiting for Eddie while making the bed. When Eddie walked in, wearing his ridiculously short pajama shorts, Richie nearly snorted, holding back a laugh. The shorts had an elastic waistband, held up at just above the hips, and only went down maybe 4 or 5 inches down.</p><p>“Uh, I can sleep on the floor,” Richie said, something he would never normally say. But he was looking for something. “Or we could share,” Richie shrugged in the direction of his double bed, slightly larger than most of the other losers, who had twin beds.</p><p>“I mean, we don’t have to go to bed right now.” Richie offered. “Not like we have anything to do tomorrow.” He scratched his head, but realized he was beginning to feel drowsiness pulling his eyes shut. He forced them open, then rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand, to try to keep them open longer.</p><p>“Hey don’t laugh at my pajamas!” Eddie shouted, giving Richie a kick in the shin. He rolled his eyes, jutting out his hip slightly. “And I think we can share.” He bent down, throwing his pillow onto Richie’s bed before turning towards the other.</p><p>“You look like you got hit in the face with a fucking car.” He raised his eyebrows, “And although you look like that everyday, I know you're tired.” Eddie grabbed him by the shirt sleeve, dragging him upwards and into the bed. He pulled up the comforter, getting comfortable as he maneuvered them under it.</p><p>Eddie turned to face him, their limbs entangling underneath the blanket. “Go to sleep asshat, I have big plans for us tomorrow.” He flicked Richie’s nose with a smirk before turning the other direction. Eddie’s eyes fluttered closed, a soft yawn escaping his lips. “Goodnight Richie~” he murmured.</p><p>Richie words stumbled as he tried weakly to make a comeback to Richie. “You’re the, um, the ass-fat, Eds. Not me.” Giving up, Richie walked like a zombie across the room to turn the lights off. Once they were off, he felt his way through the room, arms outstretched in front of him, to touch anything in his path. When he felt the comforter, Richie pulled it up and snuggled underneath.</p><p>Though Richie was tired, he still couldn’t fall asleep, no matter how hard he tried. Trying to get comfortable, he simply could not sleep with Eddie’s toes touching his. With Eddie breathing soft, even breaths into his hair. Richie sometimes had trouble sleeping, but it wasn’t normally like this. If it was late enough, he could usually fall asleep.</p><p>After about thirty minutes of trying, Richie got up out of the bed. Maneuvering through the dark, he grabbed a pillow and a blanket out of his closet, hissing as the door whacked him in the shoulder. Laying the blanket and pillow on the floor, Richie fell asleep almost immediately, waking up several hours to Eddie stepping on his face.</p><p>“Richie what the actual fuck are you doing on the floor?” Eddie scoffed, kicking the other boy in the face. He rolled his eyes, putting his hands on his hips, “Didn’t I make it clear that it was fine if we slept in the same bed? God.” He shook his head, walking over to the bed and sitting down.</p><p>Eddie was fully dressed, his teeth brush and hair combed neatly, unlike the latter. He leaned down, tugging the blanket off the other boy. “Beep beep, wake up!” Eddie yelled, giggling slightly. Eddie’s smile had a warm glow to it as he stared at the other boy, his eyelashes fluttering.</p><p>“We’re going to the Kissing Bridge.” Eddie said confidently, his foot tapping against the beige carpet beneath him. His usually stark clean Keds were covered in smudges, from the sewers Eddie figured.</p><p>Richie rubbed a hand to his face, waking himself up. Still groggy, he mumbled, “again? Didn’t we go yesterday, fuckface?” But Richie dragged himself off the floor anyways.</p><p>Looking down at his wrinkled shirt, he shuffled across the carpet to the closet, grabbing a button down to throw on top of his white t-shirt. Picking a bright floral print, he pulled his arms through the sleeves, leaving the buttons open. Grabbing a pair of shorts, Richie headed to the bathroom.</p><p>Throwing some water in his face, Richie woke up just a little bit more. He pulled a comb through his hair for about 2 seconds, then pulled on the shorts he was going to wear that day. He opened the door, and saw Eddie waiting for him in his room, his legs crossed as he sat on the bed.</p><p>“Hurry up Fuckface let’s go.” Eddie growled, practically dragging Richie out the door. He pulled his bike up from the concrete, turning to face the other boy. “There’s something I need to do there.” He nodded to Richie, swinging his leg over his bike and riding off into the street.</p><p>He led Richie down the winding roads and finally back to the Bridge. Eddie let his bike fall to the ground, his eyes scanning the wooden railing. Finding an empty spot, he knelt down, his fingers brushing against the wood. He unzipped his fanny pack, pulling out a small pocket knife. Eddie flicked it open, beginning to carve into the bare wood.</p><p>“There, done.” He sighed, wiping at his dripping brow and stepping back to admire his work. Carved into the wood was E + R + B + D + M + M + S, the E and R carved much deeper than the other letters. “It’s all of us, I used Bill’s and Beverley’s last names though. So there weren’t three B’s.” He said quietly, turning back to look at Richie.</p><p>Richie brushed his hair out his eyes. Using two fingers, he pushed up his glasses, and knelt next to Eddie, to look. Running his fingertips along the grain of the wood, he felt a heaviness in his chest. Knowing that these letters were going to remain here forever. Well, not forever, but until the wood decomposed or someone carved over it or the bridge was torn down. Whatever, it didn’t matter anyway.</p><p>Noticing that the R and E were carved more deeply, Richie smiled, making sure Eddie couldn’t see it. Maybe Eddie did feel the same way that he did. About how their relationship was, and how it could change in the future. Squinting in the bright sunlight, Richie stood up.</p><p>Looking down at Eddie, Richie said, “If you used Mike’s last name, you wouldn’t have two Ms, dickwad.” Hoping that Eddie couldn’t hear the smile in his voice, Richie continued, “But I wouldn’t expect you to think of that, Eddie-Spaghetti” Now openly grinning at his own comeback, he reached out a hand to pull Eddie up from his own kneeling position.</p><p>Eddie smiled, laughing slightly, “Well I’m sorry asshat.” He took Richie’s hand, their eyes connecting as Eddie was pulled upwards. He fell forwards slightly, bumping into the other’s chest. The smaller boy mumbled a quick apology before stepping backwards. He grabbed Richie’s hand in his, giving it a tight squeeze as he admired his work.</p><p>“Losers forever.” Eddie said quietly, turning to face the other boy. “No stupid fucking clown could ever tear us apart.” He smiled, letting go of Richie’s hand. “Right Chee?” He said with a laugh, coining his own nickname for the latter.</p><p>Not waiting for the other boy to answer, Eddie rushed off towards his bike, pulling it up from the ground. He dragged it over to wear Richie was standing, glancing at his work once more. His eyes scanned over the wood, narrowing them as he noticed something. “Hey there’s an R + E, that’s funny.” Eddie laughed.</p><p>
  <em>Fuck fuck fuck</em>
</p><p>Richie thought. “Um, yeah, the one you wrote, fuckface?” He asked, hoping Richie hadn’t noticed what he had carved into the soft wood just weeks earlier.</p><p> </p><p>When he had come to carve their initials, he was alone. It had been a cloudy day, after their fight, after Bowers had yelled in the arcade, after the giant lumberjack had attacked him. He came here and carved their initials in with steady hands.</p><p> </p><p>When Eddie was still looking at the piece of wood, Richie came next to him, to see what he was looking at. When he confirmed that Eddie was indeed looking at the large R and E Richie had carved a while ago, he scanned Eddie’s face for expression of any kind.</p><p> </p><p>Eddie ran his fingers over the softened wood, his eyes narrowing. “It was just carved.” He murmured, turning to look at Richie. Eddie cocked his head as he stared at the other boy, noticing the fear in his eyes. “Trashmouth, you okay? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”</p><p> </p><p>Unable to put two and two together, Eddie shrugged, brushing it off. “It’s probably just a coincidence, some Rachel and Elijah maybe.” He giggled, standing up and walking back over to his bike. “My mother probably wants me home by now, you know how she is.” He let out a sigh, his nose wrinkling slightly.</p><p> </p><p>Eddie turned quickly, giving Richie a tight hug before mounting his bike. “See ya later Trashmouth!” Eddie jeered, sticking out his tongue at the other before riding away.</p><p> </p><p>Richie patted Eddie on the back when he tried to hug him, not quite returning the hug. It was true that he had paled considerably at the sight of his own carving on the post. When Eddie let go of him to mount his bike, Richie plastered a smile on his face, and waved as Eddie said bye. “See you, dickwad!” He called after him.</p><p> </p><p>Exhaling in relief, Richie got onto his own bike, and, taking one last look at their initials carved into the wood, rode away towards the arcade.</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Eddie sat quietly in the hammock of the clubhouse, a stray breeze blowing in through the open hatch. An uncomfortable silence filled the room, an unknown emptiness that could not be ignored. It was the last day of summer. And he was alone. His shoes lay abandoned in the corner of the room, kicked off as though an afterthought as he shifted in the hammock.</p><p>It had seemed that all the Losers had gone their own way, leaving him all alone. Eddie didn’t like it one bit. He wasn’t ready for the change that the school year would bring. Needless to say, he just wasn’t ready to grow up. Eddie stared up at the musty, wooden ceiling with a sigh, his honey-brown eyes fluttering closed.</p><p>He squeezed his eyelids tightly, listening to the sounds around him more acutely now. A songbird sang in the trees above the fort. Stan would’ve liked that he thought to himself sadly, opening his eyes once more. But then there was the subject of Richie. A strange air had come between the two lately, a sense of awkwardness.<br/>So here Eddie was, alone.</p><p>Richie had planned on staying in the arcade for the remainder of the summer. Why he now found himself walking his bike through his woods, he had no idea. The sweltering August heat was subsiding, and the haven of air-conditioning that the arcade provided wasn’t necessary anymore.</p><p>The leaves that had nearly wilted in the summer sun just a few weeks earlier were becoming crispy. A different noise sounded when winds rustled the leaves. Richie headed towards the hideout. As he walked his bike over small pebbles, nearing his destination, Richie finally spotted the covered roof of the hangout.</p><p>Noticing a familiar bike leaned up against a tree outside the entrance, Richie began to tiptoe, leaving his bike against a tree, farther away from the trapdoor. Sneaking up to the entrance, Richie cleared his voice to make a spooky noise of some sort. When he lifted the door just a sliver, he could see Eddie lying in the hammock with his eyes closed. Quickly, he threw open the door, jumping into the hammock and yelling, “ten minutes are up, Eddie-Spaghetti!”</p><p>A startled scream filled the air as Eddie’s eyes flew open, a look of surprise plastered on his face. “Asshole!” he yelled, kicking the other with his sock-covered foot. He had been mid-trance, thinking deeply about what was to come. The last thing he expected was Richie. Eddie scooted to the side slightly, making room for the other boy in the hammock.</p><p>“And stop calling me that, I hate it when you call me that!” He grumbled, crossing his arms as he glared at Richie. The other boy had settled in, his feet resting on Eddie’s shoulder, to his dismay. Their legs were intertwined, skin against skin creating an embarrassingly hot feeling that put red on Eddie’s cheeks.</p><p>Richie kicked his shoes off and they dropped with a thump to the wooden planked floor. He didn’t have a care in the world. The familiar scent of old wood and Eddie reminded Richie of the heat, the day at the quarry that had led them here. Richie could almost smell the aloe, feeling Eddie’s skin under his fingers.</p><p>Richie grinned, relaxing his neck and leaning his head back to rest in the taught fabric of the hammock behind him. “That’s exactly why I call you that, Eds.” Noticing the rosy tinge on Eddie’s cheeks, Richie smirked, turning his head to the left slightly to hide it.</p><p>Eddie looked up at Richie with a fond smile, laughing off the other’s comment. He looked the other boy up and down, noting the sunny tinge that had turned his usually pale skin much darker. With his eyes, he followed the trail of freckles on his cheeks down to his lips, which were parted with a rosy hue. Eddie winced slightly, <em>Wait, what am I doing?</em> He thought to himself.</p><p>He batted his eyelashes slightly, snuggling in closer to Richie’s touch. Eddie never wanted to leave, or let go of this summer. He set his arm down, resting it on Richie’s knees as he closed his eyes, breathing in the warm summer scent. He let out a sigh, leaning his head forwards.</p><p>Richie felt Eddie’s eyes looking him over before the sensation of Eddie’s arm brushing up against his left knee, then his right too. The soft hairs of Eddie’s arm tickled slightly, but settled. Richie stretched his legs straight, yawning absentmindedly.</p><p>When he relaxed again, he found Eddie’s eyes closed, a look of content across his face. The expression of bliss across his face was enough to spread a warm feeling through Richie. Unable to hold back a smile, Richie kicked Eddie in the face with a socked foot. “Stay with me,” he said, putting on the assertive British voice.</p><p>Eddie’s eyes fluttered open, an annoyed look on his face. “Not the british guy accent.” He murmured, sending a scowl in Richie’s direction. Eddie found himself propping himself up by the elbows and scooting to the other side of the hammock. He settled himself, kicking his sock-covered feet over Richie’s. He smiled slightly, leaning back against Richie with a smile.</p><p>Eddie rested his head against Richie’s chest, his eyes fluttering closed once more. He found a familiar warmth spreading through him as he did so. He didn’t know why he was doing what he was doing, but he didn’t stop himself either. It felt...right. Eddie breathed in the familiar scent of Richie, cigarettes and cherries and a whole bunch of other smells he couldn’t describe. And Eddie felt content.</p><p>Soft brown locks of Eddie’s hair swept against Richie’s collar and neck. No one spoke, but the sound of gentle breathing and the occasional bird chirp from the woods above allowed Richie to sink into the moment. When school began tomorrow, and Richie knew that its start would mean they wouldn’t be able to spend as much time together, even if they stayed friends. Only a few hours of summer were left, and Richie wanted to make the most of them.</p><p>Eddie was lying to Richie’s left, the right side of his face pressed against Richie’s chest. Richie peeked above Eddie’s hair, to see if his eyes were open. Seeing that they were closed, Richie let his left hand come up to Eddie’s shoulder, stroking the light skin and grazing over his neck to run his fingers through Eddie’s hair. His hair was slightly overgrown, and loose tangles were scattered throughout. Richie closed his own eyes, his hand still resting in Eddie’s hair.</p><p>Eddie’s eyelids fluttered open, his gaze floating upwards and landing on Richie. It was then he noticed the unmoving hand in his hair, his locks tangled around each motionless finger. “Richie…” He said quietly, looking up at the other boy with parted lips. Eddie’s eyes floated over Richie’s own lips, a sudden and overwhelming urge filling him.</p><p>He leaned forward slightly, lifting his body up with a slow motion. Eddie blinked, his nose inches away from Richie’s, their lips almost touching. <em>Oh gosh, what am I doing?</em> The thought dawned on him, his expression crumbling. Eddie suddenly closed the distance, his lips brushing against Richie’s for a quick second before pulling away. <em>I can’t do it, what am I doing, what am I doing-</em> His mind raced as he slumped back into the hammock.</p><p>As Eddie's lips touched Richie’s, Richie was pulled out of a daydream into a reality rather close to what he was dreaming of. Adrenaline and blood rushed to Richie’s face, and his eyes opened just in time to see Eddie pull his face away and back onto the edge of the hammock. <em>Did he just-</em> Richie was interrupted by the creak of one of the wooden pillars, followed by the snap of the hammock.</p><p>The end of the hammock where their feet were ripped, dropping the two boys onto the dirty makeshift floor. Richie heard Eddie squeal in surprise, and both yelped as their backs and elbows made contact with the floor. A cloud of dust rose up, making Richie cough. Uh oh, Richie thought. Before Eddie even took a breath, Richie was already looking for the inhaler.</p><p>Everything was like a blur to the smaller boy, in the hammock one second, on the old wooden floor the next. His eyes flashed over to where Richie was sitting, scouring the floor for an inhaler that wasn’t there. Eddie noticed the cloud of dust surrounding him, reaching into his fanny pack and pulling out the cherry red hunk of plastic. He pressed it to his lips, taking a swift inhale of medicine, <em>Gazebo Medicine</em>, he thought.</p><p>He let the inhaler fall to the floor, slowly turning to look at Richie. Eddie didn’t know what to say, what was there to say. He had just kissed his best friend, who was a boy. He heard his heart beating out of his chest, a loud drumming that filled his body. <em>Had Richie been asleep? Did he remember?</em> Thoughts raced as adrenaline pumped. “Richie I-“ He stumbled with his words, grasping for a sentence that wasn’t there.</p><p>Eddie’s mouth opened once more before he could even think, a wave of word vomit flowing out. “Now, Richie, don’t get any ideas, okay?! It was an accident! You got it?! I’m not a fucking fairy!” His voice was filled with anger, the hot sting of tears filling the crevice of his eyes. He yelled each word, not sure of who he was trying to convince. Richie, or himself.</p><p>Richie watched Eddie grab the inhaler and take a dose, then begin to lecture him. Richie interrupted his tirade. “What the fuck are you talking about?” Richie was a little surprised at Eddie’s reaction, but pretended that he didn’t know what Eddie was saying. Turning from Eddie to change the subject, Richie waved around the hideout. “Looks like this thing really didn’t follow the safety codes.”</p><p>A small portion of the ceiling had fallen through, bringing a pile of dirt and leaves into the ground. It also let light streaming through the missing panel, illuminating the pieces of dust, as well as the flushed cheeks of both of the boys. The pillar hadn’t completely fallen, but had shifted enough to make Richie nervous. Shrugging towards the leaning pillar, Richie suggested “Let’s get the fuck outta here.”</p><p>Eddie had a blank stare plastered on his face, staring at the other boy with a crushed expression. His breathing was heavy, his eyes searching for something that wasn’t there. <em>Why was he ignoring, why was Richie ignoring-</em> Maybe it was adrenaline pumping through his veins, or maybe it was the flustered feeling of anxiety creeping up into his brain that caused him to open his mouth.</p><p>Tears were openly streaming down his dust covered cheeks, leaving a wet trail that cleared away the debris in a thin line. “Richie, don’t you fucking get it!?” He yelled, his eyebrows furrowing in a thin line. “I can’t keep living like this, I don’t know why I feel this way!” His eyes scanned the other’s' face. “There’s something wrong with me, something bad.” His voice got quieter, his gaze dropping.</p><p>“Boys aren’t supposed to like other boys.” His tone was sharp, sending Richie a broken state before standing. “I’ll see you in school.” His voice was a hushed whisper, sending the other a final glance before turning and walking towards the hatch.</p><p>Richie stayed glued to his spot for a moment, shocked. Eddie hadn’t acted like this before. Was he insecure? Or was it something else? That feeling that Eddie described was something familiar to Richie. It was confusion, fear, and he had felt like no one understood. But he had gotten over it. Accepted that all they would ever have would be a great friendship. That was all a couple of years ago.</p><p>Since the day at the quarry, Richie had thought that there might be something different between them. He savored the sensations that he’d captured from that day, and felt like Eddie did too. Eddie’s outburst only confirmed his suspicions. Richie finally broke out from his trance and chased after Eddie, just missing his shoulder as he climbed up the ladder. Richie scrambled up the ladder after Eddie, and called out to him. “Wait, Eds!” Richie stopped running, waiting for Eddie to turn around, “I, can we, y’know, like, talk about it or some shit?”</p><p>Eddie turned, looking at the other with hazy eyes, his expression saddened. “It’s not right Richie, it’s not natural.” He talked quickly, shaking his head as his eyes narrowed slightly. “You don’t want to be friends with someone like me, the way I feel towards you isn’t right.” His gaze fell to the forest floor, “Just leave me be.” Eddie sent the other a saddened look, akin to that of a wounded animal.</p><p>To Richie, everything Eddie was saying seemed so out of character. <em>The way he felt wasn’t right?</em> These were the same feelings that Richie had shoved away, pushed down to save their friendship. And yet Eddie was throwing it away because of them. Richie was conflicted. Should he tell Eddie how he felt? Or would that ruin everything? Everything was coming to an end, so why mess it all up with something so trivial?</p><p>Richie held out a hand to Eddie, the scar still pink and fresh on his palm. “We’re in this together. We promised.” The trees cast a light green hue onto the kids, and the day was nearing its end. “And you know I can’t just leave you alone. Then who’s going to tell you what a fuckface you are?” Richie waited for Eddie to take his hand, or to get up, or to do anything. Every moment he waited felt like an eternity. His arm was getting heavy, and he was about to put his hand down, scarlet and embarrassed from being such a sappy loser.</p><p>Eddie walked forward with a tentative step, cautiously grabbing Richie’s hand. His palm slid carefully into place, the scars bumping against each other in a way that felt right. Richie’s hand was warm within his own, and Eddie felt safe. He looked up at the taller boy, his eyes scanning the other’s face. He was no longer the tall, lanky, and pale boy at the beginning of the summer, he had grown, physically, and in spirit.</p><p>Eddie felt himself begin to think, going over his feelings until he looked up at Richie with an angered expression.</p><p>“Do you know how much I hate your stupid face?” He suddenly snapped up at Richie, “And how much I hate you dumb glasses?!” He yelled quickly at the other, his eyes darting around. “How whenever you tease me or call me names, I always think about how much I want to punch you?!.” He continued, backing Richie up as he approached closer. “So what is it, about your horrible, unfunny self that makes me like you so much?!” He finished with a huff, glaring daggers at the other boy.</p><p>“I don’t get it!” Eddie let go of the latter’s hand, crossing his arms. “Boys aren’t supposed to like other boys, I just want to be normal and like girls.” He shook his head, his words sharp.</p><p>“Fuck all of it!” Richie threw his hands up in exasperation. <em>I- I can't tell him.</em> Richie was just as frustrated at himself as he was with Eddie. He felt almost ashamed that he didn’t have the guts to tell Eddie the truth, how he felt the same. Eddie looked so confused and Richie wanted to make everything ok. He just didn’t know how to. A hug didn’t seem right, and neither did leaving him there. So he decided to do what he always did. Start talking.</p><p>“We’re more than just who we like.” Richie started talking nervously, “Y’know, like, you’re basically a doctor, and I’m a Trashmouth, but also killed a clown! Bev’s not a slut, and Ben’s not just the fat kid. He’s, like, smart or some shit. Stan and Mike and Bill too. But at the end of the day, we’re all just fucking losers.” His words began to slow down. “I’m not exactly normal either.” Richie’s face warmed up, blood rushing to his cheeks as the words fell out of his mouth. He waited anxiously for Eddie to acknowledge him, and what he’d said.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Eddie stared up at Richie with an expression of that of a wounded animal. “I tell you that I’m essentially in love with you and that’s what you have to say?” Eddie's</span>
</p><p>
  <span>expression morphed into an annoyed look, his hands slapping down to his side. The brunette spitfire walked up to Richie raising his hand up to slap the other’s cheek. His teeth were gritting as he did so, staring daggers at the other boy. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His hand stopped just before it reached Richie’s cheek, falling gently back down to Eddie’s side before snaking back up to Richie’s shirt. He grabbed a fist full of t-shirt between his fingers, yanking the other down until they were face to face. Eddie stared at him a moment before leaning, pressing a chaste kiss to Richie’s lips. It ended just as quickly as he had done it, Eddie pulling away with a huff. “Now do you get it?” He murmured, scanning the other’s face.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Richie resisted the urge to grab onto Eddie. To hold onto his stupid yellow polo shirt, to keep the fleeting kiss on his lips just a moment longer. When Eddie pulled away, after less than a second had passed, Richie didn’t really hear anything that Eddie said. It was like he was underwater, his focus completely blurred from reality. “Um-” Richie interrupted himself, still on Eddie’s level, and blinked a few times to pull himself out of the trance.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Standing up straight, Richie wrapped an arm around Eddie’s back, behind his waist. He pulled Eddie up on his toes, until Eddie’s eyes were almost at the level of Richie’s own. Eddie had initiated, and now it was Richie’s turn. He took a short inhale, then closed his eyes and tilted his head down slightly to kiss Eddie. He was a little unprepared, but they both were. Everything around them-- the birds, the wind, the leaves-- seemed to fall away. Richie was lost in the moment, Eddie there in front of him. Richie released the kiss, eyelashes fluttering against the thick lenses of his glasses as he opened his eyes to look at Eddie.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Eddie felt himself drop to the ground, his stained, white converse falling back to the Earth, grounding him. He looked up at Richie with widened eyes, pressing his fingers up to his lips, where Richie’s lingering kiss still buzzed. Eddie’s vision was blurry, the world beginning to spin as the gravity of the situation sunk into his mind. He looked up at the other with a lost expression, uttering a simple phrase, “Wh..at..?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Eddie collapsed to the ground, clutching on tightly to the individual blades of grass beneath his fingers. His breathing was heavy as he struggled for his inhaler, his fingers grazing the top of his fanny pack. He sucked in quickly from the plastic medicine, feeling the world begin to grow dark. And with that, Eddie fainted.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Once Richie pulled away he saw Eddie fall to the ground, looking up with doe-like, almost frightened eyes. Richie watched them lose focus of him, and an instant later, Eddie was out cold, in an awkward position on the forest floor, inhaler in one hand. “Oh, shit,” Richie exclaimed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kneeling down on the ground next to Eddie, Richie frantically shook Eddie’s shoulder, trying to wake him up. “Eddie, Eddie, hey, look I’m sorry,” Richie breathed a sigh of relief, when he saw Eddie’s eyelids begin to flutter. Dropping from his knees to his butt, Richie laid back onto the ground, his right forearm shielding his eyes from the sun, still bright in the sky. Eddie was to his left, and Richie turned his face to the left, to look at him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Eddie’s eyes opened slowly, blinking quickly before widening as he looked at Richie. “Y-You kissed me.” He managed to stutter out, propping himself up on his elbows as he stared wide-eyed at Richie. “Does that mean-“ He paused, his eyes shimmering in the summer light, “You like me too?” Not waiting for an answer, Eddie learned forwards, engulfing Richie in a tight hug. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He nudged his head into the side of Richie’s shoulder, breathing softly as minutes felt like hours. “I never thought that you would…” Eddie smiled, his arms gripping the other boy tighter than ever. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Richie returned the hug, shifting his own elbows to prop himself up, then leaned forward to embrace Eddie. He let Eddie bury his face into Richie’s shoulder placing one hand on the back of Eddie’s neck and head, and wrapping his other arm around Eddie’s waist. Richie felt Eddie grip him tighter, almost making it hard for Richie to breathe. “Me neither,” he responded shortly. “I never- I don’t know.” Eddie was holding on to the hug, onto Richie himself.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Giving up on words, Richie embraced Eddie. The still, peaceful surroundings made the seconds stretch and warp, till it felt like they’d been on the forest floor for much too long. When Richie felt that it had been forever, that Eddie’s grip on him was slowly releasing, he let go of Eddie. Leaving his hand on Eddie’s shoulder, Richie held him at arm’s length, keeping his head tilted down, but his eyes on Eddie.</span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie smiled softly, leaning into Richie’s firm grip on his shoulder. “I carved our initials into the Kissing bridge.” He let out a shaky laugh, his eye contact wavering. “After the day at the ice cream shop.” Eddie was shivering slightly, nervousness hinting in his voice. He’d been so sure that Richie would have made fun of him for his confession, teasing him with the worst of names.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Yet here he was, lying side by side with the boy who had shaped his summer. The gentle breeze ruffled through their hair, a cool, calming sensation that only helped amplify the moment. Their adolescence was only a fleeting moment in their lives, and Eddie wanted to make the most of it. He had no clue where their lives might take them.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Richie noticed Eddie breaking eye contact, and his nervousness had a contagious effect. He took his hand from Eddie’s shoulder and brought it to meet his other hand in his lap. Twisting his hands together, Richie averted his eyes from Eddie’s and spoke towards the ground. “I did too. When I thought you found them-” for a second, Richie stopped wringing his hands and looked at Eddie in the eye. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I guess I don’t know what I was scared of.” Richie once again turned away his eyes, this time towards the sky, cloudless and a brilliant blue. “But I think I’m going to try to be done with that.” Richie shifted his gaze towards Eddie, with newfound confidence.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Eddie rolled over onto his side, the soft grass beneath him tickling his skin. He smiled softly at Richie, a small laugh escaping his now flushed lips. The sound of a twig snapping was enough to pull Eddie out of his love induced trance. His head darted up as the sound of crackling leaves and sticks grew closer, accompanied by bouts of laughter. Eddie glanced nervously at Richie, scooting a distance away from him as the sound drew nearer. </p><p>The other Losers walked into the clearing, their bikes dropping to the ground with large thuds. “We’ve been searching for you idiots everywhere.” Stan was the first to speak, an annoyed look on his face as he stared at the pair. “W-We wanted to s-spend the last day of s-s-summer together.” Bill chimes in quietly, sweeping a wisp of hair from his eyes. Eddie stood up from the ground, quickly dusting himself off and walking away from Richie, as though nothing had happened.</p><p>Richie also stood, making his way towards the tree where he’d left his bike, farther from everyone else. While Eddie made up some story about why they were there, Richie grabbed the handlebars of his bike, and walked it over the uneven ground to the clearing. Not yet dropping his bike, Richie asked, in another of his ridiculous voices, “Where to, professor?” </p><p>Acting casual was Richie’s specialty. Eddie looked like he was having an aneurysm and trying to hide it, not that Richie knew what that was. Eddie’s face was flushed and his eyes darting around. Did the ground imprint that they were too close? Was Richie’s stupid dirty handprint on the back of his shirt? Richie was having the same thoughts, but just didn’t let it show. </p><p>Eddie looked like he had been in a car crash. His face was flushed a dark red, sweat dripping slowly from his hairline. He talked quickly, his fingers tapping against his side quickly. The other Losers exchanged looks between each other, Beverly’s eyes narrowing slightly. Eddie sent a worried glance towards Richie’s direction, his face torn apart by a look of distress. </p><p>“So uh, Richie and I-“ He’d fumble for words, a nervous smile on his face. “We actually, accidentally! Broke the hammock..?” Eddie glanced at their faces quickly, “So we need to go fix it now, we’ll catch up with you guys l-later!” He spun on his heels, grabbing Richie by the arm and dragging him back towards the hideout quickly.</p><p>Richie let go of the handlebars of his bike, as Eddie pulled him towards the entrance of the hideout. He gave a quick wave and slight smile to other losers, who were staring at them. Letting Eddie pull him along, Richie could feel how clammy Eddie’s hand was on his forearm. That brought his attention to his own palms, which were also wet with cold sweat. </p><p>Once they were inside the hideout, Richie tugged his wrist out of Eddie’s grip, and wiped his hands on his shorts. Looking Eddie in the eyes, Richie told him, “You’re a fucking awful actor.” Expecting no answer, Richie turned his back to Eddie, scanning the floor for his shoes he had kicked off, less than an hour ago. It felt like it had been days ago now. Spotting them, Richie stepped over an open comic book on the ground, and kneeled down to slip on his shoes.</p><p>Eddie rolled his eyes, stepping carefully around the rubble in the hideout. “I was nervous, okay, asshole?” He scoffed, kicking at one  of the wooden planks that had fallen. “Hey dumbass, how are we gonna make this work anyhow?” He’d raise his eyebrows, shuffling over to where Richie was standing. Eddie’s expression crumpled slightly, “I mean- if you want to make this work..?” His gaze fell downwards towards the damp wood, carefully picking up one of his comics from the debris.</p><p>Eddie flipped through the pages, smiling as his eyes danced across the images of various superheroes. “Hey, you never gave me my superman comic back asshat!” He’d give the other boy a small quick in the ankles, letting out a huff.</p><p>Avoiding Eddie’s question, Richie scowled and rubbed at his ankles. “Ow! C’mon!” he stood from the floor, and replied, “You never asked for it back,” giving Eddie a slight smirk, “I assumed it was a gift.” In all honesty, Richie had kept the comic under his bed, with the scrapbook and other gifts he’d gotten from friends. </p><p>“So are we going to fix this hammock or what?” Richie motioned towards the mess of tangled fabric and wood splinters in the middle of the hideout, not making any move towards it. “Looks pretty fucked, if you ask me.” There was a rip in the fabric just below where the ropes attached it to the pillar, and the pillar was tilted, nearly 15 degrees from the vertical. Richie walked to the side the pillar was tilted to, then put both hands on it, and started pushing.</p><p>At first, the pillar didn’t budge, but after a while, it gave way a bit, dropping a little more dust from the ceiling panels. Far enough away from Eddie that they shouldn’t trigger any asthma attacks. “Get over here!” Richie called to Eddie, who was still holding the comic, lost in its pages. </p><p>Eddie groaned, trudging over towards the pillar. He crossed his arms, eyeing the scene before him. “I’m not touching that!” Eddie stepped back, “ Do you know how many germs are on that thing?” He’d scowl, and despite his comment still went over to help. The smaller boy pressed his hands against it, biting down on his lip as he pushed forwards. After a minute, the pillar finally gave way, going back to its original upright position. </p><p>Eddie let out an exasperated breath, wiping both his hands against his shorts. “You’re welcome, I probably just got tetanus.” He leaned down, picking up the lump of fabric that had been the hammock from the ground. Eddie held it out, shaking the dust off of it’s leathery surface. He suddenly coughed, reaching down and taking a firm inhale from his inhaler before turning to Richie. “You know you didn’t answer my question, fuckface.” He spoke quickly, his tone sharp.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Chapter 9</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you everyone so much for reading! This is the end of this fanfic but we’re currently working on a sequel. I hope you enjoyed it! Thank you again, so, so much for supporting us! -Summer’s End Writing Team</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Richie didn’t look at Eddie, but kept his eyes locked on the pillar in front of him. “Whatever.” Richie lowered his voice, “what do you want to work? We’re friends.” He sniffed, and feeling his face grow warm again, he tried to hide his face from Eddie, crouched next to the torn fabric, holding one side of the tear in each hand. </p><p>A sense of guilt washed over him. Richie didn’t want to hurt Eddie. As the light that peeked through the boards above them grew warmer and slanted with the setting sun, Richie realized that the summer of ‘89 was coming to a close. These glorious pieces of time would stay with him, frozen portraits of the waves lapping in the quarry, a breeze in the woods as the biked, the stupid fucking clown, and the scar on his hand. A promise to each other. Richie opened his palm and looked at the fresh scar, delicate and pink.</p><p>Eddie let out a quiet, “Oh.” His voice was a hushed whisper as his expression faded. He felt a rush of sadness overwhelm him, but also, a sense of knowing. Friends. That’s all they would ever be. That’s all they could be. He wiped at his eyes, feeling then to grow hot with tears. Eddie looked upwards, seeing the sky had turned dark, a sign that the summer was on the brink of extinction. </p><p>He trudged over to Richie’s back, wrapping his arms around him and enveloping him in a quick hug before walking towards the exit. He mouthed a quick, “I’ll see you in school.” His face and sad demeanor shrouded by the shadows of the hideout. Eddie quickly climbed up, grabbing his bike from the ground and quickly clambering on.</p><p>As he rode, Eddie could feel a new, fresh wave of tears trail down his face. He knew that this day would be forgotten, they would pretend it never happened and continue to move on. As he arrived home, he quickly snuck past a sneaking Sonia on the couch, climbing up the stairs quickly.</p><p>As Eddie hugged him, Richie felt his chest grow heavy. Once Eddie was out of earshot, Richie let go of the torn fabric in his hands. With his dirt-streaked knuckles, Richie pushed his glasses up to shove away the welling tears. His glasses were fogging up, the heat radiating from his eyes growing more and more intense. Finally, the dam broke. The hot tears streamed, dotting the dry wood with splatters. With shaking hands, Richie took his glasses off and buried his head in his knees. Hitches in his breath resolved to hiccups, and when Richie felt like he had no tears left to cry, he lifted his head and exhaled slowly, trying to calm himself down. He put his tear-stained glasses back on, and used his shirt to rub away at any remaining drop of water on his face.</p><p>When Richie finally climbed out of the hideout, the sun had set and the sky was a deep blue, not yet black. Stars were appearing and sparkling through trees. Richie mounted his bike, and pedaled hard through the woods. Wind in his face felt soothing against his blotchy, red face. By the time he got home, the sky was completely black.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Chapter 10</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Hey everyone, we just want to sincerely thank you for reading our fanfic. It really means a lot to us! We worked really hard to make it the best it could be and we hoped you enjoyed reading it as much as we enjoyed writing it. Make sure to check out the sequel to this fic, the fickleness of an april day, in our works! Cheers. -Summers End</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Chapter 11</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>please read our sequel :,)</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Chapter 12</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>read our next workkk</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>So this is my first time ever posting on here, so cut me a bit of slack alright? Hope you guys enjoy, I'll be uploading chapter by chapter if this gains traction.</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>